Putting on a virtual reality headset may be the beginning of a thrilling experience, one that may be more immersive than almost any other digital entertainment or simulation experience available today. Virtual reality headsets may enable users to travel through space and time, interact with friends in a three-dimensional world, or play video games in a radically redefined way. Virtual reality headsets may also be used for purposes other than recreation—governments may use them for military training simulations, doctors may use them to practice surgery, and engineers may use them as visualization aids.
Conventional virtual reality headset systems often include hand-held controllers that enable users to interact with virtual environments in a variety of ways. For example, users may manipulate hand-held controllers to send commands and positional information to virtual reality headset systems. These hand-held controllers may include various buttons, triggers, joysticks, and/or touchpads to receive user input. Additionally, information, such as haptic feedback, may be communicated to users via the hand-held controllers.
Recently, hand-held controllers have incorporated capacitive controls to enable a more diverse and immersive virtual experience. Hand-held controllers may, for example, incorporate capacitive electrodes into various input components, such as triggers and buttons. The capacitive electrodes may, for example, detect the presence and/or position of a user's fingers, allowing for a range of additional input options. Unfortunately, such capacitive electrodes must be disposed in close proximity to controller contact surfaces, requiring additional wiring, such as flex cables and/or zip connectors, to connect the capacitive electrodes to processing circuitry within the hand-held controllers. This additional wiring may add to the weight and complexity of the hand-held controllers and/or increase costs associated with manufacturing the hand-held controllers.